An Epilogue Written
by Lauraa.Ann
Summary: Following on from the Season 1 finale - Claire and Ryan are moving on and putting Joe Carroll's sequel back on the shelf. However, when their past returns to torture them their new life is turned upside down threatening their future happiness once more. Will the pair be able to battle against their enemies when so much is at stake?
1. Prologue

**An Epilogue Written**  
**Prologue**

A/N - I couldn't decide whether to upload this now as I'm still working on my crossover and I'm heading into exam season but I knew if I didn't upload this now I never will and I need to express for emotions for Claire and Ryan because I love them so much, so please enjoy.

* * *

The sound of Claire's terrified gasp was ringing in Ryan's ears as he saw his ex-girlfriend plunge the knife into her. He had been set up. Just like Sarah Fuller, and just like Claire. It all made sense now. Joe's backup plan had always been Molly. He felt like such an idiot to have been fooled by the nurse from across the hallway and now he was going to watch the love of his life die in front of his eyes, just as Joe had wanted, before dying himself.

Even after death Joe Carroll was writing his final chapter.

Claire fell to the ground and did not move, Molly looked down triumphant and gave a small laugh before placing the knife onto the counter, "this was how it was always going to end Ryan, you should have known Joe would never let you two live happily ever after"

At the sound of her spiteful taunts he found a strength within him and launched himself towards her legs knocking her backwards. She fought against him but he grabbed the knife quickly and pinned her down despite losing a lot of blood from the wound in his abdomen.

She smiled up at him, "you wouldn't kill me Ryan, you loved me" she sang with confidence.

"Wanna bet?" he snarled before slicing the knife across her throat causing the thick, red liquid to spurt all over him, further covering his already blood-stained clothes.

He crawled to Claire and held her in his arms, he felt for her pulse. It was very weak but it was there. He pulled out his phone and dialed 911 as fast as he could, she didn't have much time. He held her tightly brushing her dark blonde hair away from her face, ignoring his own pain, "stay with me Claire" he whispered, "come on you have to live, because if you live you win, and he loses" thick tears began to fall slowly down his face "you need to live for Joey Claire, he needs his Mom, he needs you more than ever" he took a deep breath, "I need you Claire"

Within minutes the paramedics rushed through the door, the last thing Ryan could remember was being pulled away from Claire before finally his own pain overwhelmed him and his world was plunged into darkness.

* * *

As Ryan opened his eyes slowly he saw the greying tiles of his hospital room's ceiling, he felt sore all over and his mind was rapidly playing over what had happened before his blackout. He remembered being at the lighthouse, seeing Joe burn in the fire, being reunited with Claire... Claire! Molly! Was she alright? Had he done enough?

"Morning" Weston chirped from beside his bed as Ryan turned to look at him he smiled, what a time that kid had had of it recently. He had almost been killed twice, two of his teammates had died and now another had been put into hospital, he should not have had to deal with all that.

Ryan gave a small smile, "Mike" he said in a barely audible whisper, his mouth was so dry he couldn't get his words out, "Claire?" he asked with a little more power in his voice, knowing if Claire was ok was his main priority.

Mike closed his eyes briefly but returned his smile, "she's strong Ryan, she survived. She is still under close observation and she s very weak but they are hopeful"

"And Joey?" he croaked as Mike passed him a glass of water.

"Still safe in DC, he hasn't been told the extent of Mom's injuries, we'll get him up here as soon as she's stronger" he paused and looked at his teammate and friend, "I guess your death curse doesn't have much merit right now

All Ryan could do was look at him, yes Claire was alive now but that didn't mean that something wouldn't go wrong before he was strong enough to see her again. He couldn't raise his hopes, it was too soon. "Tell that to Parker's family" he replied quietly, closing his eyes realising he hadn't had time to mourn the loss of his teammate who had been the real reason that he had gotten out of his rut and back into the bureau hunting Joe Carroll. Debra had encouraged him to fight, she had brought him back to life and now she was dead.

"No" he said firmly, "she told you not to do this to yourself, you did not get her killed. Even if you had had no connection to Joe at all she would have still worked this case or a case like it and put herself at risk. We all do. I had convinced myself that I was going to die a few weeks ago to uphold the vow I made when I joined the FBI" he gave a small sigh, "I was lucky"

Ryan lay back against the soft pillows staring up at the greying tiles once more. He hadn't really given a thought to how he was doing, there were all sorts if tubes and machines connected to him, keeping him alive. Molly hadn't had much foresight, if she'd cut him higher she would have cut out his pacemaker and therefore killed him instantly. Maybe she had planned to kill him slowly after he'd witnessed the death of his love, she didn't get a chance.

"How am I doing?" he asked finally still looking upwards, he could not bring himself to meet Mike's gaze when he felt so guilty for what he'd endured.

"You'll live" he replied, "surgery went well, they fixed all your innards and your pacemaker is still in tact. The world isn't rid of Ryan Hardy just yet"

The room fell silent once more, neither knew what to say to the other so they let the eery silence drag on. "I was so blind" Ryan said finally anger seeping into his voice, "of all the people I would never have suspected Molly, that made her the perfect person of course..."

"We dug into her background, she seemed to see herself as an angel of death at the hospital she worked at. There was never an official investigation as there was no hard evidence just a lot of coincidental deaths" he paused to study Ryan's behaviour, being in the BAU must count for something, "we were finally able to break into Joe's laptop... there were videos of you and Molly together"

Ryan groaned, "of course there are" he closed his eyes, he was not ashamed of what Joe would have seen, it was the invasion of privacy that irked him. He let very few people into his life and it was reasons like this that he did so, he had been betrayed by someone he cared for, someone he thought was his friend. "Any news on any of the remaining followers? On Emma?" he said finally looking at him again.

Weston shook his head, "the ones that we've been able to identify that haven't been accounted for are on everybody's watch lists. Emma is our biggest threat, she was Joe's righthand woman, if anyone was going to continue his legacy it would be her"

"We need to make sure that doesn't happen. If Claire does make it through this, how will she ever feel safe knowing that she's still out there?"

Mike smiled at him, "Ryan, she's got you. How could she not feel safe?"

He shook his head, "I couldn't protect her last night" the images of her lying crumpled on the floor returning to his mind.

"You need to get past this Ryan, for the sake of Claire, for Joey, for your future together and for your sanity! The cult has disbanded and it will not reconcile. Joe was their figurehead, the reason they joined. Emma has lost all her little friends, we found Jacob Wells' body by the harbour, so if she comes looking for revenge, she will be alone and she will be against us"

Ryan nodded slowly, as much as he hated to admit it Mike was right. If he had any hope of having a future with Claire he needed to move forwards, their biggest threat had been eliminated and the whole country was on alert for their second.

It was time to move past Joe Carroll, his book needed to be closed forever.


	2. Chapter 1

**An Epilogue Written**  
**Chapter 1**

A/N - Thank you for the response already, it is much appreciated.

* * *

It was to the sweet smell of her husband's pancakes that Claire Hardy awoke. She opened her eyes and stretched out in the large bed before smiling, the sun was shining brightly through the thin curtains and she could hear the birds singing sweetly. It was another morning that she could be thankful that she and her family were well and all was right with the world.

She smiled down at the small bump that had already began protruding from her stomach, it caused her to think back to several months ago when she had first learnt of her pregnancy. She had only been married to Ryan two months when she began to get the symptoms. At the time this had terrified her, she knew how even after everything he still believed in the death curse over his family, he may be reluctant of their child because of it.

_Ryan placed his arms around his wife and held her close as he walked into their bedroom after his first day back at Quantico as a consultant agent. Claire smiled back weakly but it did not convince him, he immediately sat her down on the edge of the bed and put his hands around hers, "what's wrong?" he asked softly looking into her large, brown eyes._

_She looked away momentarily and then sighed, "I'm pregnant Ryan"_

_His face was unchanging but blinked several times in shock, "ok, and you're not happy about this? I know after Joey you didn't want anymore children..."_

_She shook her head as she let a tear fall down her cheek, "I didn't want anymore of Joe's children, of course I'm happy, I'd have a hundred of your children Ryan!" she paused, "I thought it'd be you who wouldn't happy, with you being adamant that this death curse over your family is real I didn't think you'd want kids" she added sadly._

_Ryan cupped his wife's face in his hands and smiled at her, "curse or no curse, we survived against all odds last year and because of that we are going to have a future together, bringing a baby into this world will just be proof of our strength and I'd be so proud to be their father" he said with emotion seeping into his voice._

It had been almost a year since they had fought against Joe and it seemed like a different lifetime. She took a deep breath and swung her legs out of bed wincing slightly, the pain from her back still comes and goes, it was a constant reminder how close she had been to leaving this world.

The door then flung open, "Mom! Ryan's making pancakes, you've got to come get some" Joey beamed from the doorway still in his pyjamas.

Claire opened her arms to let her son run into them pulling him into a tight embrace. The ordeal of the past year had taken its tole on him but it had brought them closer together and Ryan was the stability that both of them needed in their lives.

She took her son's hand as they walked downstairs to the kitchen and there he was, the one man she had truly loved. After meeting Ryan she knew her love for Joe was false, his lies had been seeping through every pore of their relationship, Ryan is and always has been real. She leant against the doorway as she watched him help Joey flip the current pancake in the air. There was a joy on Ryan Hardy's face that she had never experienced before their lives together began, there had always been a cloud over his life, scared of rejection and abandonment but now he was living his life and he wasn't alone.

Ryan turned and saw his wife, a beam spread across his face, "hey who's ready for pancakes?"

"Me!" Joey cried sitting up on the bar stool waiting patiently.

"Mmm, me too" Claire smiled sitting beside him ruffling his hair affectionately.

He placed plates full of the thick, fluffy pancakes in front of them drizzled with sticky, sweet syrup, "here we go"

Claire had just begun to get her pregnancy cravings and this morning treat was definitely on the menu, "how did I get so lucky to find a husband who is so good to me and can cook?"

He took his own plate and sat beside her, "my sister owns a restaurant remember, she taught me a thing or two!" he leant towards her slightly, "I don't think I've said good morning"

She smiled at him, "well we better rectify that, good morning" her lips met his as they kissed softly and lovingly.

"Ew!" Joey cried, "I'm trying to eat!"

Laughter filled the kitchen as they broke apart it was these moments that both Ryan and Claire treasured. There had been so much heartache whilst they both recovered from the aftermath of Joe's destruction, they had finally been able to start looking forward and nothing was going to prevent that from happening.

They finished their breakfast at lightening speed and it was soon time to begin the morning run to work and to school.

"Right Joey you better get dressed, the bus will be here soon" Claire said sliding off the barstool and collecting the dishes together.

Her son pouted slightly, "but Mom!"

Ryan shook his head and placed his hands on the little boy's shoulders, "you heard her little man you've got to go and learn things"

"But I wanna go to work with you! I want to fight the bad guys like you did with my Dad" he said looking up at his step-father.

Claire shot Ryan a worried glance, he simply smiled at the boy's curious and innocent face. He had been involved in a lot more than he ever should have been involved in and seen some terrible things, despite that he got out of the situation relatively clearheaded and much wiser overall. He quickly pulled him into his arms, "you already know how to fight the bad guys, but school will give you that extra knowledge you need to be the FBI agent you can be, so you going to go?" Joey gave a small sigh before nodding, "that's my boy" he said placing him back on the floor, "now hurry up the bus will be here in twenty minutes"

As they heard the sound of him running quickly up the stairs so not to be late Claire looped her arms around her husband's neck, "you're so good with him"

In response he wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, "he's a great kid, takes after his mother"

She looked at him sadly, "as long as he doesn't take after his father..." she sighed.

Ryan cupped her face in his hands, "Joey is nothing like him and he never will be, not when he's got you looking out for him"

She smiled and looked down briefly, "I hope this one takes after its father though"

He chuckled, "oh most definitely who wouldn't want to be an ex-alcoholic with a dodgy heart and an ability to hunt down serial killers?"

She placed her finger to his lips, "however they turn out, they'll be perfect, cause they're ours"

Tucking her long fair blonde hair behind her ear he smiled, "you're right" he said before leaning down to kiss her gently.

"Ok" Claire said breaking them apart, "you've got work, Joey's got school and I've got that interview at the college to prepare for"

He nodded, "like you need to prepare, you're already the best professor I know"

She raised her eyebrows, "flattery won't get you anywhere, don't forget Mike's coming round for dinner after work"

Ryan made his way to the stairs to get dressed, "of course Mike is coming to dinner, he practically lives here" he smiled, as much as he joked about Weston he had begun his friend, one of his only friends. The fact that he began dating his little sister after they met at their wedding was a little unsettling at first but he was already part of the family so his worries soon subsided.

Claire smiled as she sat back down and watched her husband disappear, getting back to teaching would just complete her life right now. That was another part of her Joe had taken away, and it was another part she was ready to regain.

She glanced at the clock, it was time for Joey to leave. They had moved to a large house in a secluded community so it took him five minutes to walk to the nearest bus stop. For the first few weeks either her or Ryan had taken him to school themselves and them they began walking him to the bus, he soon became embarrassed and insists they let him go on his own. Her baby was growing up.

"Joey! You're going to be late"

At the sound of his mother's voice the he ran quickly down the stairs with his large backpack over his shoulder, "bye Mom" he called as he opened the door.

Claire raised her eyebrows, "excuse me"

He turned back and smiled before throwing her arms around her, "I love you Mom"

She kissed the top of his head softly, "and I love you, you've got practice after school, do you have your kit?"

"Yes!" he sighed walking to the door, "I've got to go, bye love you"

Claire smiled and waved, "bye baby, love you too" she sat back and smiled although she would be spending another day alone until her boys returned to her, she could look forward to their return and their bright future together.

* * *

Joey walked happily along the pavement towards the bus stop as he did every weekday morning. He usually found his mind drifting to the events that had happened the previous year, he wasn't a baby, he was eleven years old, he could understand that most of the people in that house were bad. He couldn't understand how some of them could be so nice if they were so bad, Jacob? Denise- Emma? Even his Dad? They had all been nice to him and yet everyone kept telling him how bad they were.

It had been these thoughts that had distracted him from looking ahead, he had not noticed the figure dressed all in black so to look inconspicuous despite the hot weather. As he approached, the figure turned, Joey attempted to not look directly at them but they looked straight at him. He gasped as he caught the eye of someone he hadn't seen for the past year.

And they were coming for him.


	3. Chapter 2

**An Epilogue Written  
Chapter 2**

A/N - I apologise greatly for the delay but exams took precedence unfortunately but they're all done with now so I should be progressing with this story now, hope interest hasn't been lost please enjoy, I appreciate every review, favourite and follow so thank you.

* * *

The evening was creeping in as Claire began setting the table for dinner, neither her son nor her husband were home yet but she was not worried. Joey had soccer practice that night after school and as for Ryan it was not uncommon for him and Weston to be late home from work when he was coming round for dinner. As she laid the fourth place at the table she glanced at the clock, she had ten minutes until her casserole would be ready, she loved cooking for her family it was something she was going to miss if her interview went successfully the following day. Claire sat down and looked over her interview notes once more, she had taught for years prior to Joe but she could never regain her passion for her career after he was sent to prison, first she focussed on Joey and then when Denise- Emma came to look after him she gradually began worked her way back then after Joe's return she could not face it until now, returning to the classroom scared her.

After what seemed like no time had passed, Claire heard voices at the front door as placed her food onto the centre of the table.

"Claire?" Ryan's voice travelled through from the hallway into the dining room.

She smiled at the sound of her husband returning home, it reminded her of the sense of stability and normality that was now in her life, "in here" she called back as the tall figures of Ryan Hardy and Mike Weston walked through the door.

Mike smiled at her warmly, "hey Claire, something smells good" he said rubbing his hands together in anticipation.

"Tastes better! Sit down, how was your day honey?" she asked fetching the warmed plates from the kitchen.

Ryan sat at the head of the table, "just your average, cheery day in the FBI: serial killers, rapists, kidnappers" he replied sarcastically with a smile.

Mike laughed, he was about to pile food onto his plate when he looked around, "where's the little man?"

Claire sat down beside Ryan and glanced at the clock, "he's at practice, he should be home any minute"

Mike nodded and looked down at his plate, he knew this was a good enough time as any to ask Ryan the question he had been dreading for weeks but he was terrified that he may be pushing it too far and ruin not only his working relationship, but his personal relationship as well. He took a deep breath and finally plucked up the courage, "Ryan I need to ask you something"

He looked up and raised his eyebrows as he began pouring red wine into his large glass, "go ahead then" he then glanced sideways at Claire, she smirked as she had deduced what young Weston had been anxious to ask her husband.

He swallowed before looking him directly in the eye, "I want to ask Jenny to marry me, if that's ok with you" he said seemingly confidently but in reality his hands were shaking furiously under the table.

Ryan smiled internally, he could have so much fun making him suffer, pretending that he was furious and how dare he want to marry his sister but the truth was he was very happy with his decision. He had learnt to let go of Jenny a long time ago when she became successful in New York and he had to dedicate his time to the FBI, he had seen boyfriends come and go over the years, some of which he had to scare off himself but Mike was different. Although they had only been dating a year Ryan had seen a change in his sister for the better, he was a good, hardworking kid and he could not ask for a better husband for her. As he pretended to process what he had just been asked he felt his wife's eyes boring into him, he knew even if he considered rejecting Mike's proposal that she would not forgive him easily as she had always accepted him as part of the family.

Ryan smiled and stuck his hand out to his friend over the table, "Mike, welcome to the family!" he heard him give a sigh of relief and clasped his hand before mirroring his smile, "make sure you treat her right though, or you will have me and my gun to answer to, starting with how you're going to propose to her"

He nodded, "I've already decided I'm going to take her across to Central Park as she told me some of her happiest memories are of when she was little, when your parents and brother were still alive and you used to go there every Sunday. I want to make that a memorable place for her again, do you think she'll like it?"

Ryan took Claire's hand under the table and smiled once more thinking about when he proposed to her. As soon as they were out of hospital he took her to the university campus where they first met, there he had truly shown his romantic side and prepared a dinner of her favourite food prepared specially by Jenny before asking her to be his wife, "I think she'll love it" he said sincerely.

With all the excitement they had lost track of time and it was now nightfall and there was no sign of Joey, Claire glanced at the clock anxiously, "Ryan I'm really worried, he has never been this late coming home"

He nodded and stood up, "I'll go and ring his coach and see if practice ran on late, if not then I'll go out in the car and see if he's just been hanging around with his friends and forgotten to tell us, in the meantime you keep trying his phone, this is the reason you let him have one for emergencies"

Claire nodded still unsure with worry plastered all over her face, "I have a really bad feeling Ryan, if it was anyone else but him I would believe you but it has almost been a year, any of Joe's creepy followers could have gotten him" she whispered tears beginning to form in her eyes.

It broke his heart to see his wife so upset, "shh it's ok, he is going to be alright" he reassured her softly sitting back down and pulling her into a close embrace, rocking her gently to calm her down. Mike took the initiative to call the coach on Ryan's behalf, he returned minutes later and shook his head silently to his friend and beckoned him over.

Leaving Claire alone in the dining room he joined his friend who was unfortunately the bearer of bad news, "Joey wasn't at practice, in fact his coach said he hasn't been at school at all today"

Ryan closed his eyes in disappointment, Claire's words were ringing true in his ears no matter how much he wished it to be otherwise, there are many out there who could believe Joey is the answer, he should have never allowed him to go to school on his own. He returned to his wife kissed her head and whispered close to her ear, "Claire I'm going to go and find him and bring him home"

She sat up attentively and shook her head, "I'm coming with you, I need to find him Ryan" she looked around nervously, "and I'm not staying here on my own if Joe's people are making a comeback, I can't"

Mike stepped further into the room, "you two go and find him, I'll wait here" he gave a small grin, "don't worry, I'm armed and if it is them we'll dealt with them before and we'll do it again. At least we know they won't hurt Joey"

Claire wanted to believe the reassuring words she was hearing but she couldn't, there had always been a constant worry that one of her ex-husband's psychotic followers would want Joey to continue his legacy. She couldn't say a word as Ryan silently drove along the dark, empty streets retracing the steps her son would've taken to get to school, no Joey. As she looked out of window the shadows of the black shapes were merging into one blur, she had given up hope when something caught her eye, "there!" she called causing Ryan to stop the car immediately. Amongst the darkness there was a small red drawstring bag with Joey scrawled in black ink across it tossed under the bushes, this was where they took him. She finally allowed the tears to fall, just as her family had begun to heal and forget the horrors of the previous year, it was returning to haunt them once more.

Ryan wrapped his arms around his wife allowing her to cry into his chest, he wished so much that he could take away the pain but he too was hurting. He had grown to love Joey as his own over the past year and the thought of him being scared or hurt was too much to comprehend, "I will get everyone I know on this Claire, I brought him home last time and I promise he will be home safe again"

As they parked the car into the driveway Ryan immediately sensed something was wrong, he felt for his gun which was tucked into the small of his back and held Claire behind him placing his finger to his lips to silence her. Slowly and quietly he turned the key into the lock until it clicked before tentatively pulling the door towards him.

Claire gasped from behind him as Mike was crumpled in the centre of the floor, there was no blood but he was not moving. She rushed to his side as Ryan held his gun out with his back to the wall waiting for the intruder to return, it was obvious his friend had been hit from behind, he would not make the same mistake.

"Mike? Mike? Speak to me, what happened?" Claire cried shaking him gently causing him to stir and groan loudly as he began to move.

He flickered open his eyes and looked around frantically remembering what had happened, "Claire I'm so sorry…" he whispered.

"Who did this Mike? Who's got Joey?" Ryan asked still not moving from his position against the wall, his gun clutched tightly in his hands.

He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, "It's Emma, she's back"


	4. Chapter 3

**An Epilogue Written  
Chapter 3**

* * *

The air was cool and crisp against his skin as Joey Matthews flickered his eyes awake, he could not remember where he was or why he was there, all he knew was he was in danger. The ordeal with his father had caused him to grow up over the past year, though he did not fully understand the workings of the minds of the serial killers and psychopaths he had encountered he had learnt about a world he wished he did not have knowledge of and that could never be taken away from him.

Still not fully awake he began to take in his surroundings. Beneath him he realised he was laying on a hard, rough couch. Once this couch would have been soft and warm, situated in a large living room bringing the user comfort during cold, bitter evenings and warm, summer mornings. There would have been times when they jumped on the cushions with joy and times when they curled up against the soft furnishings and simply cried as they wished the world away. Those times were long gone and as Joey lay on the forgotten, worn piece of furniture he began to put together his morning together. It was Tuesday, Ryan had made pancakes, Uncle Mike was coming for dinner, he left for school Mom had badgered him about his kit, he should have had soccer practice and left the house at the usual time. It was now night, what had made him lose time?

It was then that Joey remembered what had happened before he had lost consciousness. It was her. She was back. With eyes still blurry he looked around slowly, by the small fireplace he could make out her outline staring into the crackling flames which dancing erratically in all directions. As his vision became clearer he became concerned that she was going to fall into the flames, that she would be burnt to death just as his father had. Perhaps that's what she wanted, although he was only young and unwise to the complicated world of relationships it was clear that she had loved Joe Carroll.

As he moved on the dirty couch to get a better look at his captor, a loud creak came from a spring beneath him. She turned sharply to face him, Joey swallowed nervously as this was not the Denise who he had grown up with and loved during the younger years of his childhood. Her short brown hair was now dark blonde, whether that was its intended colour or it had darkened with filth he did not know, and it had been jaggedly cut at different lengths as she resorted to becoming her own hairdresser desperate to keep the style which was recommended by her idol. Her eyes were cold, hardened and lost, there was little life behind the anger that was searing out of them. She wore a long sleeved black shirt with black jeans and dark shoes as if she was in a state of mourning though the colour masked the dirt that had accumulated from not keeping up with personal hygiene. Living under the radar had clearly taken it's tole on her.

Her curled lip slowly turned into a cruel smile, "hey Joe" she whispered patronisingly, her voice was horse and slurred, her drinking had obviously increased significantly also, "remember me? I was your nanny and we had some fun times together" she stood from her crouched position by the fire and turned towards him, the unnerving smile still plastered on her face. Joey edged backwards to the far side of the couch where he had been lying but she widened her smile and took a step closer, "I'm not going to hurt you Joe" she stated walking ever closer towards him, "I have been waiting a long time to see you again" she stopped just in front of him and bent forwards placing her hands on his shoulders, "I've missed you Joe" she whispered softly.

Joey pulled his face back as far as he could, he was unsure whether she was under the illusion that he was his Dad or whether she was too drunk to understand anything. "I need to go home" Joey attempted to say firmly but his voice wavered.

Emma's head snapped towards him, her eyes sharpened from the glazed, lustful look she portrayed a moment ago. Her lip curled upwards once more as she took her overgrown fingernails and dug them through his thin t-shirt and into his shoulders, "you're not going home ever again" she snarled emphasising each word as she spoke.

Fear began to overwhelm Joey, his heart thundered in his chest as the pain rose from his small shoulders. He did not know why she wanted him but he couldn't see himself being able to escape her grasp. Once again he was being held captive in an unknown location with a highly dangerous people. He had learnt that last time his Dad would not allow anyone to hurt him, this time he didn't have that protection. He felt extremely vulnerable.

Emma took a deep breath and straightened herself up, she could feel the eyes of the little boy following her every move, attempting to understand his purpose for being there. As she sat back down in her usual position in front of the fire, despite the summer Virginia heat, she considered telling Joey the truth behind his capture, he would find out soon enough anyway when she took him to them, but no. Telling him now would just scare him a lot more than necessary, she made a vow to Joe many years ago she would protect him and she would not break it now, not after all her hard work. Though the hard work was not over, in fact it was just beginning. Keeping a constant watch on Joey would be the hardest part, last time she had gained his trust, he would do what she said without question. This time he knew what she was and getting him to follow her orders would be a lot trickier.

Then there was the threat of Ryan Hardy. His anger would be in full flow once more as his new precious step-son has been snatched from beneath his nose despite all the protection he put upon him. Did he really think that Joey would ever be safe? The heir to Joe Carroll's legacy?

This is one battle that he will not win, and then their story will be finished once and for all. With the correct ending.


	5. Chapter 4

**An Epilogue Written**  
**Chapter 4**

* * *

The sun peaked over the Virginia hills reflecting an array of bright yellows and oranges into the pastel blue sky. The scene was idyllic to most, but as Claire watched from her living room window it was hard to appreciate the beauty. She clutched her woollen cardigan together fiercely as she looked outwards, she had not moved for five minutes as she stood hoping for her son to walk down the road towards her. She knew that wouldn't be the case.

Her illusion was shattered as she felt the strong arms of her husband wrap around her, she looked up briefly and saw in his eyes the same sadness that coursed through every inch of her body. He kissed the top of her head softly before his attention was drawn by the low humming of the engines of two official cars which were driving down their street followed by two police cars. Ryan pulled Claire into his chest as the cars parked up, she shouldn't have to relive the torture of being separated from her son and this feeling spread a lot further than her this time, he felt it too. During the past year he had learnt to love Joey like his own, the want to return him home was not just for Claire this time, it was for himself too.

Weston walked quietly into the room, "they're here" he informed them softly, although his wounds were mostly superficial the impact Emma had had was still visible from the blotches of black and blue that had appeared on his face. He too felt the pain that Joey being gone was causing as although he wasn't yet family, he was referred to as Uncle Mike and with the lack of any other family, this hit him hard.

He turned and went to answer the door before they had even reached it whilst Ryan and Claire remained in their bubble of sharing sadness.

The familiar figures of U.S. Marshal Scott Turner and FBI agent Deidre Mitchell entered through the doors followed by several local local police officers.

For all who stood in their living room, the scene was far too reminiscent of the previous year. Everyone had suffered too much for the same level of emotional torment to be repeated.

Ryan turned to greet his former colleagues, "Turner, Mitchell" he greeted quietly.

"Hardy" he nodded, "I regret us meeting again under such unfortunate circumstances" he added taking a seat on the cool, leather couch.

Claire followed her husband's gaze, her eyes were red and swollen, "do we have a plan?" she asked as she continued to grip tightly to his shirt.

He nodded, "we believed it would be wise to begin interviewing some of Carroll's followers that we have in prison, they may have been contacted by Emma if she is re-establishing the cult" he paused and glanced between the couple, "we would want to try to contact her, who initially spoke to her last time?"

Ryan swallowed and took a sideways glance to Weston, "Parker" he answered quietly, he remembered how she had related to Emma's situation with her mother as she tried to reason with her. He had later learnt as he watched her parents bury their daughter with expressionless faces that she had been the victim of a cult as a child but had managed to escape a life of abuse and where freedom of speech and thought was forbidden. Making the brave decision to break away caused years of isolation and resentment from her family, it was evident that this resentment for bringing 'shame' upon them was still felt even after her death. At least Deborah had a team that cared for her and mourned her death where her family failed to.

Turner nodded solemnly, "unfortunately despite your personal connections, you and Weston are most familiar with her so naturally you will be at the forefront of the investigation"

"We have already set up base camp with all the information from last time back at Quantico" Deidre added.

Ryan looked from his colleagues to his wife, he took her hands and kissed them gently, "I need to make sure Claire is safe, she could be Emma's next target"

She shook her head from beside him, "no I need to stay with you and find Joey"

He held her at arms length, taking her shoulders lightly, "Claire, I will find Joey and I will bring him home but I can't do that if I'm worrying about you and the little one" he said softly briefly glancing down at her stomach, "I will not have you put in the danger you were last time, you need to go to New York and stay with Jenny we will have officers posted at the apartment, that way I'll know you're both safe" he looked over at Mike who was stood quietly in the corner of the room, "and it'll put his mind at rest too"

Claire wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly, "just get him home safe Ryan"

Turner stood up, he knew there was no time to waste in cases such as these, "Claire if you get some things together I can get you to New York by nightfall and will personally stay as your protector until such time as it is safe. That is if you do not go running into dangerous situations again"

She nodded as she pulled away from Ryan she clasped onto his hand. No words of goodbye needed to be spoken as they had every intention of getting past this blip quickly and continuing their lives. They trusted each other entirely, and for Claire that meant that Ryan would not return without Joey safe.

* * *

The familiar grey buildings looked a lot more daunting as the official black cars crept into FBI prison facility which had been the home to Joe Carroll for ten years. Dawn was vast approaching, Weston and Hardy exchanged glances, apart from each other they suddenly felt very alone once more.

There were three locally imprisoned followers Turner had arranged for them to interview. Nobody mentioned methods of gaining information from the prisoners as it was common knowledge that Ryan Hardy's actions could be controversial. Parker had soon learnt that although torturing a prisoner for information was not exactly by the book, it was the most efficient way of finding out what was necessary and fast. This is what they needed.

Upon entering the facility they were soon hit with the memories of the previous year. The endless hours they spent analysing Joe Carroll when he was behind bars, and where they begun to track him when he escaped. Deidre had set up their area for the case in the same office they were in last time, but this time it was different. This time there was no Riley, no Mason and no Parker. Just the empty silence of the three FBI agents occupying the space.

"More agents are due to arrive to assist on the case" Deidre explained sitting at her computer, "but Turner wanted you to begin the interviews as quickly as possible"

Hardy nodded, "who have you got?" he asked his mind flitting back over all the cult members he had imprisoned over the previous year.

She brushed some papers aside to find the text which read their names, "most of the followers you were familiar were killed but we have Simon Ellis, Mary-Anne Watts and Amanda Porter-"

Ryan's head snapped up, "Amanda Porter?" His mind flashed back to the hurt this woman had caused not only for him but for all the innocent people connected to the women named Claire Matthews she had killed in an attempt to unnerve him. She was the only follower he recognised from the names listed he had called her bluff, after admitting he loved Claire he told her to shoot him with the nail gun but she didn't get the chance. She had been relatively unstable but all the followers were to a greater or lesser degree, this didn't deter him. She had been important in that house, she had been tasked with a job by Joe himself and she was the only one, apart from Emma, who was still alive, "I'm talking to her first"

Without any need of direction Weston followed Hardy along the empty corridors, their footsteps echoing loudly as they walked.

He glanced at her through the glass, her hair was longer and more ragged, there was still a madness in her eyes behind the seemingly normal persona, "whatever happens in there, don't take me out"

Mike nodded, "I know"

Hardy twisted the doorknob and walked into the brightly lit room slowly. She turned around at the sounds of another presence and an evil grin spread across her face, "my my my my my Ryan Hardy" she sang as he sat opposite her, "I knew it had to be important to pull me outta there but this... this is a surprise indeed. So tell me how's life since you ripped up the last chapters of Joe Carroll's masterpiece?" she asked resting her chin on the backs of her fingers, never breaking eye contact.

"What can you tell me about Emma Amanda?" he asked directly.

She scoffed, "her! She thought she was like Joe's second in command or something, his favourite but everyone knew that there were no favourites, Claire was his only priority" she gave another evil smile, "how is she by the way? Looking after her I hope"

"Has she been in contact with you?" he asked just as directly, ignoring her petty taunts.

"She thought just because she was trusted to be in with the family for years that that made her some sort of royalty in his eyes but in the end she was just trash like the rest of us. But if she thinks she and Jesus!" she paused and took a deep breath, "can carry on then she's welcome to it, me? I'm happy cruising by in here. That's all I'm saying. Goodbye Ryan"

Silently, Hardy stood and exited the room without looking back.

Weston frowned at his colleague, "well that was whole lot of nothing, why didn't you push her further?"

He looked up, "because she said more than she meant to. She said 'if she thinks she and Jesus'-"

"So? It was an expression of exasperation"

He shook his head, "she said 'and Jesus' and then she stopped realising what she had said and tried to cover it up. I think she meant it literally as Joey as Jesus, the son who was born to follow his father and continue his work. Then she said 'can carry on' meaning she's re-establishing the cult. It's what we thought, she's creating the next Joe Carroll"


	6. Chapter 5

**An Epilogue Written  
Chapter 5**

* * *

Thick, grey mist hovered over the black abyss of water masking every inch of the dreary, lifeless port. There was no sound. The air hung cold sending shivers down the spine of any unfortunate by passer. In the distance a single ball of light illuminated the scene revealing secrets of the sea that were hidden in the night. The lighthouse stood high on the rocks expressing its power and authority within the water, it was a beacon of hope for sailors caught on the stormy seas, its light determined life or death and that was the greatest power of all.

The lighthouse was not somewhere Joey Matthews was familiar with. Sometimes when he could not sleep late at night he would sit on the stairs and listen to his mother and Ryan. He heard whispers of the lighthouse, of his father, of the atrocities that had occurred during his final moments. He had also heard whispers of the lighthouse when he was in the house, the house with the followers, it was on the front of his Dad's book but its significance he did not know.

Fear captivated his entire body as Emma dragged him silently through the shadows, he did not know how he was moving but somehow his limps were working against his will. Joey wanted to scream, cry out for help but the large piece of thick duct tape was preventing him from doing so, even if he was not gagged he feared he would not have found his voice anyway. Their destination was never told to him but something inside of him told him they were heading towards the light, the overbearing, omnipotent tower of strength built into the rocks.

When the light passed over the water he was pulled into a warped wooden rowboat which appeared seemingly out of nowhere, this was their transport. As Emma rowed away from the shore all Joey could do was sit and not move. He had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, all he could do was wait. Neither spoke a word as they swayed with the waves towards the rocky island upon which the lighthouse stood, it was late he was unsure how late, it may have been early, several times his eyes began to droop but he feared what would happen if he lost consciousness, he knew he was safer awake.

It became apparent through the ease at which the boat was directed and that they had departed onto the shore at the safest area that she had perfected this journey through completing it many times before. Pulling Joey roughly by the arm Emma dragged him towards their final destination. He looked upwards as they were apart to enter the lighthouse, it looked even more terrifying up close than when its eye was scouring from a distance.

To Joey's surprise, and horror, the lighthouse was not empty when they entered. A fresh wave of fear passed over him, followers. Now he knew the truth about them they appeared a lot more frightening than when he first encountered them despite there being a lot fewer than were living in his father's house. They were sat on whatever they could find in the desolate area but they were sat in rows all facing forwards as if they were waiting for something. Then it began apparent, they were waiting for him.

Emma glanced her eyes over the group that had congregated and listened to her pleas, she had contacted everyone she knew who hadn't died or been caught as well as some new recruits but still there were less than fifty people in the room, she did not know if this would be enough. All she could do was believe in Joe and believe in Joey and trust that through guidance and understanding he would lead them and make them great and feared once again. Taking a deep breath she walked to the front of the makeshift stage placing Joey on the seat beside her and smiled at the audience.

"Followers, friends, I am so glad that you listened to my calls and responded for today is a new day. It is true Joe's story did not end with his intended ending but we are calling for a rewrite, we shall write those final chapters for him and extend his legacy" she called out there were a few murmurs of agreements so she paused, this was her moment to make them believe in the cause once again, "today is a day of mourning, we mourn a year since the death of our great leader and friend Joe Carroll, he was cruelly taken by what Joe described as the 'hero' of their story Ryan Hardy" she heard several murmurs of disgust, she smiled internally and continued, "he has slipped from our grasp too many times, he does not believe in us without our leader but now we have shown him our true strength. Love has always been his weakness and over the past year we have let him create ties that he should not have underestimated that we would break, we have taken his precious stepson from beneath his grasps and this will be his downfall. Today the baton is passed to young Joey, we must all help and guide him to become Joe, it is what he would have wanted and we will continue his legacy"

"He's just a kid, what do you expect him to do?" a man shouted from the back of the group causing others to turn and look at him the same question filling their minds.

Emma looked down at Joey who glanced back terrified at what he was hearing, he did not want to turn into them, he did not want to be his father, he just wanted to go home. "it will take time for him to understand our ways, we will teach him about the word of Poe, the ideology on which Joe based his life and about how we feel, how it is not wrong to kill if it feels right. We must teach him and then in time he will lead and inspire others"

"And until then? What do we do while you're mentoring the little Prince over here?" the same man called out.

Emma sighed, "Thomas I appreciate your questions but I will not tolerate anyone who doubts in Joey. If there are any who are not true to the cause leave now, there is no going back" she warned narrowing her eyes, nobody dared to move so she plastered the smile back onto her face, "we will continue to hold meetings such as this, discuss the word of Joe and his ideology and soon when the time comes, we will eliminate Ryan Hardy and his darling wife"

Joey tried to scream out through his gag but it only came out as high pitched noise, the man who had been identified as Thomas laughed and then stood up and clapped, he was soon followed by the rest of the congregation, Emma beamed broadly as Joey stayed still and began to cry.


	7. Chapter 6

**An Epilogue Written**  
**Chapter 6**

I truly do appreciate you reading my story despite the inconsistent uploading, I am trying to make amends by writing more frequently, it was difficult as I was on holiday beforehand. If you read please could you review and let me know what you think, it would mean a lot, thank you.

* * *

It is a common assumption that working in a profession which involves the dead makes being surrounded by death more bearable as one becomes accustomed to it. For undertakers and medical examiners this assumption may be true, they are able to distance themselves from the bodies, they see them as 'just science' and do not allow details of their death to enter their minds in fear of inserting emotion. It is not the same for law enforcement, they largely join to change the world, fight the injustice, none of the bright-eyed, hardworking, naïve young adults who strive to make a difference envision the horrors that can wait at the end of a 991 call, there is no distance. The medical examiners do not have to then delve so deep into the victim's life that they know them as well as their own mother and undertakers are not required to visit the crime scene of a bloody body with their last look of fear glaring out of dead eyes, they only see the lie, the clean, distorted reflection of their death. There is no distance.

Ryan Hardy had exhausted every lead he could think of when the call came in. Since interviewing Amanda Porter several young, inexperienced agents had been sent to help retrieve Joey, Ryan wasn't convinced of their purpose, he believed that they did not possess the required knowledge of the case and that he and Weston could have managed alone.

He knew it was only a matter of time before Emma made her first move, she had waited a year before taking Joey she was no longer in her preparation stages she was going to move towards her endgame and she was going to do it now.

He brushed his palm over his hair before burying his head in his hands, the waiting for killing him, it was like he was playing into Joe Carroll's mind games once again. He would not be her pawn, he would be in control this time.

"Hardy?" Deidre's voice echoed in his mind jolting him back into reality, "a 911 call has just come in, two bodies have just been found near the pier" she paused, "they're for you"

* * *

As Ryan stepped out of the car the icy sea air hit him immediately causing shivers to course through his body, the scenery was all too familiar for him. He walked directly to the huddle of police officers and pathologists who were analysing the scene, they all seemed very weary and uneasy at what was about to be revealed to him. He noted that some of the less mature officers had had to step away from the scene as it was far too real for them. The officers on the edge of the circle glanced behind them and parted the way for the FBI agents to pass through, Ryan closed his eyes at the sight, it was not one he had been familiar with for eleven years, Mike simply stared with his mouth open slightly in shock, this had been what he had become familiar with through the veil of photographs he had studied but the reality was a lot harsher.

The bodies were of two young women, they could not have been more than twenty-five, these murders were the exact replica of those of Joe Carroll. He would stab them in their vital organs but first he was sadistic and made them suffer by stabbing them in the abdomen, this was evident on first glance at the women. His signature was the worst part though, he would slash their eyes out as a reference to his idol Edgar Allen Poe, they were related to his stories 'The Black Cat' and 'The Tell-Tale Heart', in which eyes are a prominent part of the imagery.

Both of the women were familiar to Ryan, at first he could not place their faces but he knew they were a part of his life somehow. It was only upon learning their identities from the leading officer that it became clear. The first woman was shorter with long flowing brunette hair, her name was Samantha Waker, and she was their twenty-one year old next door neighbour. He had made an effort to know as much about their neighbours as possible but they did not wish to get too close just in case one of them was spying like Paul and Jacob did to poor Sarah Fuller, but all of them were clean. Samantha had been studying Ancient History at the University of Virginia but lived at home with her parents because her mother has cancer, Ryan knew this would destroy them and she was targeted because of him. The second woman was slightly older, mid-twenties at the most with blonde hair cut into a short bob which was now tainted with blood. She was Miss Harriet Simms Joey's school teacher that year, he had met her only once several months ago when he had attended Joey's parents meeting with Claire, she believe it was important for them both to see how well he was doing at school, he did not complain.

It then became clear that these women were not targeted because of him but because of Joey, she was showing him that people he was close to were dispensable if he did not follow what she said. She had started with minor people in his life, he had become close to Samantha as she had babysat him several times while he had always commented on how Miss Simms was his favourite, he never complained about a class because he would rave about how interesting she made the lessons, she would not be able to do that again.

The difference with these killings to those committed by Carroll eleven years prior was the pieces of paper attached to each woman. The first was a sketch of Carroll himself, Emma had prized herself on her drawings as they learnt when they visited her mother's house which for a time had been their hideout. Deborah had stated that each of the portraits she had drawn were reminiscent of her mother which she had killed and stored in the walls of her house some years earlier but this sketch did not, it was Carroll through and through. The second was a folded note with the single word: 'Hardy' scrawled on the front, carefully he picked it off the body and began to read.

'_Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?'_

_Life has been a dream for the past year Ryan, it does not seem real that he is gone but he will be resurrected.  
You will never see Joey again, only the butchered bodies that he will create._


	8. Chapter 7

**An Epilogue Written**  
**Chapter 7**

* * *

The night was long after the terrifying ordeal at the lighthouse, Joey had been dragged around by Emma visiting followers who could not make the meeting then finally letting him sleep on one of their couches. Joey didn't remember much after Emma's chilling speech, he was frightened of what was to come, what she would expect him to do, he hoped Ryan would find him soon, he wished there were some way to contact him, but there wasn't.

The shining sun blazed down into his eyes when he awoke, he knew he had not fallen asleep there so when and why he was moved was again unknown to him. He sat up and glanced around at the scenery, he appeared to be in a park, a very secluded park, there was no-one to shout 'help' to. The birds were chirping sweetly in the large oak tree above his head, he went to run but he realised his hands were bound, he wasn't going anywhere. He then noticed Emma humming to herself leaning against the tree opposite with a pile of books beside her, she raised her eyes from the selected book she was reading and smiled.

"Good morning Joe, it is time for your first lesson" she sang closing the book in front of her.

Joey sighed, "Emma it's Joey not Joe and I'm not my Dad, I need to go home, I won't tell anyone about this…" he pleaded but he knew it was no use, she simply gave a short laugh and continued her 'lesson'.

"Today we will be begin with a theory lesson and then we will be taking a little field trip to do some practical work, how does that sound?" she asked looking a lot more alive than she did the first time Joey had seen her after his capture. Now her life had purpose again and she was completing Joe's wishes which is all she wanted.

Joey remained silent as Emma began reciting an Edgar Allen Poe poem to him, the title of which he did not hear, he pretended to look vaguely interested but he allowed his mind to wander. He tried to think of happier memories, things that would disconnect him from the reality he was facing. He thought about his Mom and how worried she would be right now, he hoped she was safe, he hoped the baby was safe, he was so looking forward to being a big brother and not being treated like a kid all the time, it would give him an opportunity to earn some responsibility. He then realised that yesterday was supposed to be his Mom's big interview, her first opportunity to teach in years and now it had been taken away from her, it wasn't just his life they were ruining, it was his family's. Even if they survived this and regained some sense of normality they would have to move again, he had only just settled in his new school and made friends, he even liked his teacher but neither Ryan nor his Mom would think it was safe and he'd be smothered once again, but he'd take that over what he was living through presently.

"Are you listening Joe?" Emma asked glancing up from the text her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied Joey's clearly disinterested face.

He nodded, "um yeah" turning his attention back to his captor.

She was not convinced, she stood up and grasped Joey's wrist tightly, "I think it's time we took that field trip now" she sneered whilst dragging him towards the rickety car that he vaguely remembered being transported in.

The ride into the suburban area of wherever Joey was being held did not take very long and they soon parked up outside an average looking house, quite similar to the one he lived in. Through the window he could see a woman, he attempted to fight back tears as the woman reminded him of his own mother, she was cooking in the kitchen, she was smiling, she was happy.

Emma turned to face him in the car and that same evil grin appeared on her face, "today, you become a man Joe, today you become your father"

Joey didn't know what she meant by that but he knew it couldn't be anything good, "I-" he began to protest but she held her hand up to silence him. He watched her every movement as her hand moved over him towards the glove compartment, inside she pulled out a single object, it was a covered in a black cloth, Joey's heart began to thunder in his chest once more. She slowly peeled the black material off to reveal a shiny gun, Emma grinned broadly as she saw the look on Joey's face turn from one of confusion to one of sheer horror.

He shook his head in shock, "no! No I won't touch that thing no!" he shouted as he banged on the window to try and attract some attention but there was no-one around.

She grasped his hand once more, "now that was really silly, it is like you are putting a death sentence onto your family's head" she pulled out the morning's newspaper from the side of her seat and opened it to the first page, "this is what happens when little boys don't cooperate, some ground rules have to be enforced"

The bright, young, smiling faces of his next door neighbour Samantha and his favourite school teacher Miss Simms glared out at him, his eyes skimmed over the headline, 'Young Women Brutally Murdered by Joe Carroll Copycat'. Joey could not hold back the tears now, "this isn't fair, why did you kill them?" he cried.

Emma gave a short laugh which made him even angrier, "because I wanted to and someone has to show you who is in charge around here, that is why we have leverage for today" she pulled her phone out of her pocket and opened a live video stream which showed a man with a large army gun mounted on a tripod with it aimed straight for a large glass window, upon closer inspection Joey gasped. In the window were two women, one he had met only a few times which he identified as Jenny, Ryan's sister and the other he was very familiar with, as the other woman was his mother and that gun was aimed straight for her.

"No!" he screamed attempting to take the phone from her but she just laughed, "don't you dare hurt my Mom"

"Joe Joe Joe, you still just aren't understanding these rules are you? I won't be the one hurting your Mom, you will. It's either that stranger in there, or your beloved Mommy, your choice"

Joey just shook his head in disbelief, he would not kill anyone, he of all people knew how wrong that was and his Mom would be so disappointed in him but then again if he said no would his Mom be around to find out as right now her final moments were numbered.

Emma suddenly leapt out of her door before dancing round to pull Joey out of his side, "time's up, we're going" she said thrusting the bare gun into his hands. The only thought in his head was that the gun was heavier than he expected, he concentrated firmly on this as Emma picked the lock on the door, as she crept into the kitchen and as he watched the woman scream for help when she cornered her.

"Please!" she cried, "I have some money, whatever you need just please don't hurt me!" tears streamed down her face as they simultaneously fell down Joey's.

Emma cackled and took a seat at the dining room table leaving Joey facing his victim, "don't be begging to me sweetheart" she chirped, she was enjoying this immensely, "it's him you've got to worry about"

The woman's terrified eyes flitted to Joey and then down to the gun that was shaking in his hands, "please I have a son he's about your age his name is Tony, I know you don't want to do this, please just put the gun down and we can work something out" she cried but with a much softer tone than she was using towards Emma.

Emma gave a fake yawn, "one word Joe, one word" she said simply pulling out her phone, "and say goodbye to your precious Mommy, the Mommy who sacrificed herself to save you last year, the one who scraped past death after being stabbed in the back and the one who was brave, and foolish, enough to stab her own husband to protect you and now you can't do this for her, you're more pathetic than I thought"

She then brought the phone to her lips and the whole room went into a blur, all Joey could hear was a crack, a thud and then silence.


	9. Chapter 8

**An Epilogue Written  
Chapter 8**

* * *

There was no reason to believe that the smiling face of Tina Warwick, which briefly caught Ryan's attention as he flicked through the morning's paper, would have any link to his missing stepson and the delusional serial killer who had taken him. In fact as he was entirely consumed with his hatred of Emma and the determination to find Joey he was completely oblivious to the reasoning behind her covering most of the front page at all.

It was not until later that day whilst he was fixated on the note that Emma had left them as it was their only clue that the telephone rang sharply beside him.

"Hardy" he answered dully.

"_Ryan Hardy? This is Detective Sam Davies of Washington PD, I have information regarding to the case of your missing stepson and his captor Emma Hill"_

Suddenly Ryan was very much awake and focussed on what this man was saying, "yes, what do you know?"

The man cleared his throat_, "last night the body of Tina Warwick was found in her home by he__r son, gunshot to the chest, we would have thought it was just a home invasion but when I attended the scene there were some things that didn't make sense. Firstly there was no forced entry, secondly there was no evidence of a struggle but most importantly__ the murder weapon was left at the scene. Thinking this was odd as if he intended to murder her he would have taken the gun with him I rushed it for fingerprints, only one set of prints was found on it and they matched to Joey Matthews"_

Ryan was stunned, he sat back and processed the information. '_You will never see Joey again, only the butchered bodies that he will create' _the words rang clearly in his head, Joey wouldn't kill anyone, it didn't make any sense. He picked up the newspaper he was reading earlier and looked closely at the picture, she was a naturally beautiful woman in her thirties with long flowing blonde hair, shifting his attention from the photo to the text one line stuck out at him _'she leaves behind a ten year old son and an ex-husband wh__o are both obviously distraught by her passing'_. All the pieces then fitted together. Tina Warwick was Claire. Emma wanted Joey's first victim to be as close to his mother as she could get. She was setting him up, preparing him for the finale.

"_Agent Hardy__?"_ Detective Davies' voice called from the phone he had discarded on his desk.

"Sorry Detective, yes that information was most useful if you could fax over all the case details that would be helpful, thank you" he replied quickly before putting the phone down. At the same time Mike walked in with two cups of coffee and placed one in front of his colleague.

Ryan stood up and faced him, "what's up?" Mike asked placing his own cup down onto the desk.

He ran his hand over his chin, what was his next move? He was tired of constantly being behind Emma and having to work around these games she was playing. He needed to be ahead of her but at the moment he didn't know how.

Mike was about to press the issue when he felt his phone vibrate in the pocket of his jeans he glanced at the caller ID and frowned before answering, "Jenny?" he asked with a hint of worry in his voice as both he and Ryan, who's attention was also caught by the phone call, knew that neither of their partners were supposed to be contacting them.

"_M__ike?" _Jenny's terrified voice called out as he put her on loudspeaker, _"is Ryan there?"_

"I'm here Jen, what's wrong? Tell me what's happened?" Ryan called out to his sister his heart racing as it was obvious something was not right, either with her or Claire. Jenny sobbed quietly down the phone there were noises of busyness in the background, she was not in her home. Ryan took control of the conversation, "Jenny put Turner on now" the response was more crying, he hated to think of his sister so upset but he needed answers.

"_I can't… we're in the hospital… she came in the house… she shot Turner… grazed me…" _Ryan felt Mike's body tense up beside him as he heard that his girlfriend had been hurt, this feeling was also felt my her protective big brother but at least she was safe, she hadn't mentioned his wife's safety yet,_ "and- and she took Claire I'm so sorry Ryan I couldn't stop her I tried I really tried" _she cried, small sobs intercepting her words.

Ryan felt his entire body shrink from the inside out, once again his family was in danger and he had not been able to protect them, he felt helpless. Just as he was about to reply his own phone began to ring on his desk, he gestured to Mike to keep reassuring his sister, he had to take this call, it was a call he had been waiting for.

He took a deep breath trying to regain control so his anger did not cause him to do or say something he would later regret, he would not let her manipulate the situation again. As Mike left the room he slowly lifted the receiver, "hello" he grunted keeping his breathing steady.

"_Ryan Hardy! I do believe this conversation is long overdue"_

Ryan gritted his teeth as her falsely happy voice touched every nerve in his body. It did not sound like the Emma Hill he had encountered last year, although she had power there was an element of shyness and living in Joe's shadow desperate to please him. Now she was in control and though losing Joe had changed her life dramatically she was enjoying running the show but this just gave Ryan further cause to hate her, he crushed his free hand into a fist at his side, "Emma, where are Claire and Joey?"

She gave a high pitched girly laugh, _"oh Claire and Joey, well they're right here, want to speak to them?" _

She didn't wait for a response before she soon left the other end of the phone and Ryan's heart soon tightened at the voice of his wife, despite it only being several days since he last saw her it seemed like an eternity, _"Ryan? Don't listen to her, whatever she says it's a trap-"_

"_-Ok! That's enough talking" _Emma's voice cut in, _"s__o this is how the story ends__ Ryan, you will __find your family at the place where it ended and where it will be reborn, come alone" _she gave a short laugh, _"I do believe your puppy dog will be a little busy right now with your dear sister anyway, see you soon"_then there was just the dial tone ringing in his ear.

He turned to find Mike standing behind him, he looked completely lost and saddened by the news that his girlfriend had been hurt, it showed how much he truly loved her, "go" he said.

"No, we need to get Claire-"

He shook his head, "I need to know my sister is safe and I'll know that if you're with her, now go"

Mike still looked unsure, he was too nice of a guy to abandon his friend but sighed and nodded, "you ring me as soon as you have them or you need help and I'll be there"

Ryan simply nodded and watch him leave before formulating his plan of action, he always knew it would be him alone in that lighthouse just as it had been the year before, Emma wanted to rewrite the ending but he would not let this happen, not when it was his family that were at stake.


	10. Chapter 9

**An Epilogue Written  
Chapter 9**

* * *

The mist was hanging low above the murky black water as it lapped softly against the sharp rocks surrounding the fortress of light which held so many secrets and symbolised so much. He had been waiting for this moment a long time, it is how their story should have always ended, the hero would not win yet simply watch as his lover stumbled out of his grasp and behind the veil of death. He watched through blurred vision out of the dirty and broken window, he was coming, the end was neigh.

* * *

Emma's eyes flashed open, her dream had been so vivid she could still see him stood in front of her, waiting for the end, waiting for his hero to approach. She knew it wouldn't be long until the inevitable battle and she would be ready. She had warned the other followers away, she could see they were not fully committed to the cause anymore, it was her and Joe, it had always been her and Joe. She walked to the window and let her delusion consume her, Joe had placed his hand on her shoulder, "this is it" he spoke softly into her ear, she closed her eyes and smiled, this was always how it was meant to be.

Claire had not slept, she fidgeted where she sat trying to remove the bonds from around her wrists but they were too tight, she had not seen Joey since she had been taken from Jenny's house, she hoped he was there somewhere, she needed to know he was ok, she wished she could call out to him and tell him everything was going to be alright but she couldn't, the tight gag around her mouth was preventing any sound from escaping. She sighed internally, she knew Ryan was on his way which she was glad of but she knew this was a trap, the setting was the mirror image of the previous year and it didn't take a genius to realise that Emma was creating Joe's final chapter in which she would die as Ryan could not stop it from happening. Claire attempted to push that thought from her mind, they had dodged death before and they would do it again, this time it wasn't just her life that would be lost it would be her unborn baby's too and she would not put it in any harm.

There was one thing that played in her favour though, Emma was alone this time. She had no backup plan like Joe had. They only needed to stop her, and she was outnumbered.

Emma had been smart enough to leave Joey at the top of lighthouse thereby keeping him out of the way of his mother, it was easier to control them both separately. He had not heard her screams that had echoed throughout the lower part of the lighthouse as she tried to get his attention when she first entered. He was completely isolated. He was completely alone. He was completely oblivious of the final task Emma had planned for him.

Alone and guided only by the worn light beaming out of the tall structure Ryan Hardy navigated towards the island which held his family. As he left the rickety boat which he had hired his gaze was drawn to the blackened building which held the story of the end of one of the most notorious serial killers he had ever encountered, it brought back all the emotions of the previous year to the surface, coupled with the fury he was already feeling he knew as soon as the opportunity arose he would empty his gun into Emma without a second thought.

He stumbled across the rocky surface towards the dim light illuminating the rooms which were occupied. His plan was simple, get Claire and Joey out safely then kill Emma and end Joe Carroll's legacy once and for all. The door creaked as he moved it slowly towards him, Emma was expecting him, there would be no element of surprise. He peered into the cool, dreary room, stepping inside there was no sign of movement, he glanced through to the next room, the room where they had finally confronted Joe, and he saw the fire roaring and crackling, in front of it sat Claire. Their eyes met briefly and she shook her head before widening her eyes as she tried to communicate with him silently, there was evidence of conflict as there was a large blue and purple bruise formulating over her eye and dried blood by her nose.

Ryan took a step into the room when out of the shadows behind Claire came Emma holding a gun in one hand and pulling Joey by his collar in the other. He assessed her degraded appearance but kept his face neutral, his eyes then locked with Joey's, they were wild with fear and they were his only mode of communication as his mouth was gagged, Ryan wished he had not been pushed into this situation again.

"Hello Ryan" a slow smile crept onto her face.

He gritted his teeth but kept his gun firmly by his side, "Emma" he grunted.

She pushed the gun to the back of Claire's head and did not break eye contact with the FBI agent which had caused her last year of hell, "I'm done with niceties, this ends tonight!"

"I completely agree" he snarled moving slightly closer.

"Tonight young Joe here makes a decision" she explained shoving Joey forwards whose hands were visible for the first time, they were tied in front of him with his finger over the trigger of a second gun, "either he kills you, or I will be forced to kill poor Mommy here"

A restricted cry came from Claire as she shook her head at Joey, a cry that meant so much but most of all it meant 'don't worry baby you don't have to do this, Ryan is going to save us'.

Emma gave her perfected high pitched laugh, "oh Claire don't be so uptight, this isn't Joey's first kill" Claire looked with wide eyes from Emma to Joey and then to Ryan, "ah Ryan didn't tell you huh?" she pulled a face, "I guess you'll have loads to talk about- oh wait, one of you will be dead!" she laughed again and pushed the gun back into Claire's head, "now choose Joe, we haven't got all night!"

Ryan never broke eye contact with Joey no matter how hard Emma stared at him, the little boy was shaking with fear, scared whatever he chose would be the wrong, he looked between his mother and his stepfather who gave him the most discrete wink which gave Joey the confidence he needed.

"So Emma, what is your plan after you leave here? Because we both know that whatever Joey chooses you're going to kill us both anyway but two dead bodies on your hands? Bit messy isn't it, Joe wouldn't be too impressed would he?" Ryan asked with the sole intention to provoke her.

Emma's lip curled slightly, he had clearly hit her most sensitive nerve, "I did everything for Joe! Not impressed? I am and have always been his most faithful follower, he trusted me more than Roderick more than anyone!" she raised her gun away from Claire's head in her fury, this was their moment, "I loved him completely! I am the Joe Carroll legacy!"

They were the last words out of Emma Hill's mouth.

A bullet first fired from Joey Matthews' gun into her leg causing her to lose balance and drop her gun in shock, her life was taken ultimately by Ryan Hardy who stood where Joe stood 365 days earlier and he emptied every bullet into her chest. The force pushed her backwards with a ghost look of love in her dead eyes, she saw Joe until the end, until she would be finally reunited with him.

'_Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?'_


	11. The End

**An Epilogue Written**  
**The End.**

Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, followed, favourited this story, I know The Following doesn't have a big fanbase on here so I really appreciate it!

* * *

_2 Years Later_

"Joey?"

The light walls which were designed to give the feeling of openness and comfort to those occupying the space between them were having the adverse effect on him. Although this was now a familiar procedure to him the first five minutes were always the most daunting, was he saying the right thing? Would today be the day he was finally arrested or worse, sectioned? He swallowed shrinking further and further into his seat, he was now a fully-fledged teenager and the room which he sat in was not common place for most teenagers on a Saturday morning. Most of his peers would still be asleep in bed or perhaps out at the Mall or the park hanging out with their friends, he would give anything to be doing that, instead he was being confined by light walls.

Dr Ashcroft leant forwards slightly across his desk and gave Joey his most comforting smile, a smile he most probably had perfected over years of meetings just like the one he was experiencing, that unnerved him at first, was it a sign of genuine concern or simply a façade used to gain the trust of vulnerable patients? Over time Joey had finally realise that Dr Ashcroft was someone he could trust and confide in, one of the only people.

He brought his fingertips to his lips watching Joey's every move carefully, studying his behaviour as was his job to do so, "Joey, we're coming up to two years of our meetings now, I thought you were comfortable now"

Joey lifted his head and caught Dr Ashcroft's eye for a brief moment, "I am" he croaked quietly.

The doctor smiled and nodded, "good, comfort is the most important thing. It is only natural that you become apprehensive as the anniversary approaches as you had to grow up a lot sooner than you should have…" he paused, they had spoken for long hours about Joey's trauma, first at the house with his Dad and secondly the horrors that Emma inflicted on him several years prior, "how has your week been? Spoken to Mom much?"

Hanging his head he shook it slowly, the amount that his Mom and Ryan had sacrificed for him he should have been more grateful to them, he wished he was, he had told Dr Ashcroft this on several occasions. The truth was he could not help it, they didn't understand what he had been through and he couldn't make them, if his Mom knew the truth about what happened that night with Tina Warwick it would destroy her. Overall he found it easier not to talk, he knew how withdrawn he seemed from his family and at school he had been dubbed as the loner, he hoped one day that would change but though the counselling sessions were the only time he could speak openly even they could not fix him yet.

He swallowed, "we went to Mike and Jenny's last weekend in Philadelphia, it was their first wedding anniversary, they announced that they were going to have a baby…" he trailed off.

"…and you're not happy about this because you feel you're not truly part of the family, Jenny is Ryan's sister and so you're the outsider and you could not celebrate the same way they did, am I right?" Dr Ashcroft asked.

Joey nodded, "it was different when Ray was born, he's my half-brother, he's my family. Sometimes I find myself talking to him when we're alone the way I talk to you, maybe it's because I know he won't understand, talk back or judge, he just listens" he thought hard back to a time when life was a lot simpler, when his nanny was just his nanny and not a serial killer, "I always wanted a brother, even when I was really young, it was only me and my Mom for a long time so I was lonely, I wanted someone who would look up to me and someone I could look after. Some role model I'm going to be to him!"

"Joey! I honestly can't think of a better role model for that little boy than you. Ray is what eighteen months now? Since he was born every week you've had another story to tell me about him or something you've taught him, it is obvious that already he loves you very much. You have been through so much at such a young age and you protected your mother when she needed you the most, I don't see how he couldn't look up to someone like that"

He scoffed and sunk further into his seat, "a murderer you mean" he mumbled expressing his true feelings.

Dr Ashcroft sighed, "We've discussed this Joey, you did not murder that woman. It was Emma who killed her, you were merely the pawn-"

"-but I fired the gun! I didn't mean to, you know that, there was the struggle and the trigger went off!" he cried finally finding the life inside of him that had been drained for a long time.

"I do, Joey you are not a murderer. You are not your father and you never will be. You are going to get steadily better and one day all these horrible horrible things that have happened to you will no longer affect who you are and they will simply be a memory, but until you are able to accept that Tina Warwick's death was not your fault then the sooner you can begin that process"

Joey looked down at his lap, he knew everything the doctor said was true and he was grateful that he had him to talk to but he could not see the light at the end of the tunnel, all he could see was this darkness which had infiltrated his life consuming him forever.

The large clock behind the old, wooden desk chimed eleven. Their hour was up. Joey stood and glanced around the room once more, it did smother him having to be faced with his fears but it was his solace. The white walls covered by child's drawings from patients over the years and above the door was his favourite part, in large wooden letters was the word 'HOPE', Joey had come to realise that the only thing that kept him going was the hope that life was going to get better and the hope that he will be able to reconnect with his family and friends.

"That's our time up then Joey, I really hope these sessions continue to be beneficial to you, I've seen you grown in ways that I don't think you will believe and although you're still strengthening your relationship with your Mom she sees it too, you've just got to trust her and Ryan because they love you"

Joey gave him a half smile as he began to walk out of the door, "thanks, I'll see you next week" he said. From the outside the building did not stand out, you would not pass it and assume that it had helped so many vulnerable people over the years, it was only if you looked closer to the scratches on the walls and the cracks in the windows which give the impression that a darkness was being treated there. There is a stereotype if you are known to be seeing a 'shrink', some people's problems are a lot less serious than others but still you are judged, you are not seen to be normal again. This was always a weight on Joey's mind, so he didn't talk about it.

The sun shone brightly against the pale blue sky as Joey left the building, on the road in front was Ryan's car, he was there to pick him up as he always was, never had he been late. He leant against the car and waved at his stepson as he approached, "good session today buddy?" he asked cheerily as he entered the driver's seat, Joey nodded and slid into the backseat which, to his surprise was occupied by his baby brother who's chubby hands reached out to clasp around Joey's finger, "yeah Ray wanted to come and see you so I thought we'd make a boy's day of it while your Mom's working is that alright?" another nod from Joey.

"Jo!" Ray cried expressing one of the limited words in his vocabulary but he knew his brother and Joey was proud of that.

Ryan smiled, they were little steps with Joey but he didn't care, his family were well and safe and in time he hoped he would find the confidence to talk to them again. The key to this he knew may be sessions with a psychiatrist every week but as he looked in his rear view mirror it was clear that his baby brother Ray, named after his own little brother who he had lost all too quickly, would be the strength that gets him through the dark times.

This was an entirely new book that was being written for the Hardy and the Matthews families, Joe Carroll, his legacy and all the horrors that were associated with them were gone. The only goal now was to repair the damage that they had done to innocent Joey, they knew that in time he will get past his father but until then he and Claire would be there to help him every step of the way.


End file.
